Kennedy got nailed in its first two football games of the season, but turned the hammer loose Friday night and surprised cross-town rival Washington.

Junior Alex Hillyer ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns and senior Trevor Heitland also scored three touchdowns to lead the Cougars past the Warriors, 41-28, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Kingston Stadium.

Kennedy (1-2) came into the game with just 81 rushing yards after losses to Xavier and Linn-Mar. The performances prompted Kennedy Coach Tim Lewis to make a few personnel changes and challenge his team to play a more physical game.

"I try to pick a different theme each week and this week I talked about us being the hammer and not the nail," Lewis said. "We were definitely the nail the last couple of weeks and I think they showed tonight that we can play that hammer type of football."

The Cougars ran the ball 57 times for 307 yards against Washington (2-1). Heitland, who was switched from running back to flanker at the start of the week when Lewis decided to make Hillyer the feature back, still ran 16 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.

"(Coach) got on us, especially the seniors, about keeping our heads up and come out and keep fighting and working hard because this season will turn around," said Heitland, who rushed for more than 900 yards a year ago. "That's what we did. We just kept fighting."

Kennedy pounded the ball at the Warriors out of a power-I formation that had senior fullback Shane Williams leading the way for Heitland and Hillyer.

"We have two really good running backs," Lewis said. "Last year, with Trevor and R.J. (Adams), we rotated them. We decided we couldn't do that this year with these two guys. Trevor's done a great job of accepting his role. He can catch the ball. He's really dangerous out in space."

Lewis also made a couple of changes on defense, moving Hillyer out of the lineup and switching senior Josh Jahlas from safety to linebacker.

The result was half the work and twice as much fun for Hillyer, who toted the ball 36 times. He came into the game with just 11 yards on 17 carries.

"I was starting at hybrid (linebacker/safety) and I had been cramping up," Hillyer said. "So they moved me to just the tailback.

"It worked out so I could stay in the game. I don't like coming out and when you cramp up, there's not much you can do about it."

Kennedy started in a 7-0 hole after Washington senior David Tann raced 73 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. It was the same trap play the Warriors ran effectively in routing Jefferson a week ago, when Tann rushed for 133 yards.

"We knew the trap was going to be a big play for them," Jahlas said. "It just knocked us in the mouth right away. But we bounced back and adjusted pretty well."

But instead of rocking back on their heels, the Cougars came out in a ground and pound power I formation. Kennedy marched 73 yards for the tying score, the first of four straight touchdowns that gave the Cougars a 28-7 lead with 2:43 left in the first half. Heitland had scoring runs of 4 and 14 yards, and Hillyer burst in from the 8.

"They were better than us," Washington Coach Tony Lombardi said. "They ran what we thought they were going to run. They were just more physical than us. They were more disciplined than us and they didn't turn the ball over. They were the better football team, without question."

Washington trailed most of the night by three scores, but finally cut the margin to 35-28 with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, the second with 3:09 left. Kennedy answered back with a 61-yard drive, with key passes of 30 and 8 yards from Chico Lizarraga to Heitland. The latter came on 4th-and-7. Hillyer bulled 19 yards on the next play for a touchdown that put the game away.

Kennedy's onslaught overshadowed a record-setting performance by Washington senior wide receiver Flynn Heald, who caught 21 passes for 292 yards, both school records. The previous record of 16 receptions was held by Keenan Davis, who now plays for Iowa. It was the second time in three games Heald set the yardage mark. He caught nine passes for 244 yards in the Warriors' 51-26 season-opening win at Prairie.

Heald's 21 receptions were one shy of the state record set by Leon Central Decatur's Joe Audlehelm in 2006, according to the National Federation of State High Schools' record book. The national record is 32.

"I was just trying to do what it takes to win," said Heald, who has 36 receptions in three games. "Whether that means catching the ball 21 times or zero times, it's whatever Coach Lombardi wants."

Lombardi was matter-of-fact when apprised of Heald's receiving mark.

"Usually when you break passing records it's because you're getting your butt kicked," he said.

Washington senior quarterback Braedon Tovey completed 23 of 46 passes for 304 yards, but also threw three interceptions.

Washington hosts Dubuque Wahlert next Friday night at Kingston Stadium. Kennedy is at Dubuque Senior.

KENNEDY 41, WASHINGTON 28

Washington       7    7    0   14   -     28
Kennedy          14  14    7    6   -     41

CRW - Kevin Tann 73 run (Michael Daughtery kick)
CRK - Alex Hillyer 1 run (Jordan Holzer kick)
CRK - Trevor Heitland 4 run (Holzer kick)
CRK - Heitland 14 run (Holzer kick)
CRK - Hillyer 8 run (Holzer kick)
CRW - Braedon Tovey 10 run (Daughtery kick)
CRK - Heitland 34 pass from Chico Lizarraga (Holzer kick)
CRW - Walter Short 2 run (Daughtery kick)
CRW - Noah Dostal 4 pass from Tovey (Daughtery kick)
CRK - Hillyer 19 run (kick failed)

Team Stats

First downs -- CRW 22, CRK 22

Rushes yards -- CRW 27-171, CRK 57-307

Receiving yards -- CRW 304, CRK 140

Comp-Att-Int -- CRW 23-46-3, CRK 7-10-0

Punts-avg. -- CRW 3-48.3, CRK 4-44.5

Fumbles-lost -- CRW 1-1, CRK 2-0

Penalties-yards -- CRW 4-30, CRK 1-5

Individual Stats

Rushing -- CRW: David Tann 3-80, Walter Short 12-68, Braedon Tovey 6-12, Mitch Bredeson 6-11. CRK: Alex Hillyer 36-208, Trevor Heitland 16-74, Chico Lizarraga 4-25, Team 1-0.

Passing -- CRW: Tovey 23-46-3-304. CRK: Lizarraga 7-10-0-140.

Receiving -- CRW: Flynn Heald 21-292, Mitch Blades 1-8, Noah Dostal 1-4. CRK: Heitland 6-100, Josh Jahlas 1-40.